Chapter 356: Volume 1 Chapter 356, Guiman (26)

Jiang Zhi, who was staying at home waiting for Wen Chijin to return, turned on the TV and saw the latest news report.

Song Yuwei disappeared on New Year's Eve; yesterday, after receiving a police report, the victim was found inside a garbage truck parked at a junkyard.

Before death, the victim had all teeth pulled, the throat slit and an oxygen tube inserted, dog leashes bound the limbs, and was tied in the garbage truck's cargo box, unable to make a sound, tortured for a full week, and died of asphyxiation.

Inside the truck there was a dog bowl containing water and dog food.

The forensic examiner determined that she had removed the oxygen tube inserted in her throat herself and died from lack of oxygen.

Experts judged that this case is very similar to previous cases; the criminal extremely enjoys torturing people, a typical pleasure-driven offender. With strong counter-investigation abilities, after the victim disappeared from the camera outside the bar, no other cameras captured where she went or who she met.

The criminal may have been acquainted with the victim.

Just watching the news on TV made Jiang Zhi feel nauseous, her face turned pale, she stood up and ran to the restroom to vomit.

After calming down and coming out of the restroom, she saw Wen Chijin returning.

He was still in his work uniform, having rushed back without time to change, his fingers still stained with black paint, and only relaxed when he saw her.

"Sister, did they leave?"

Jiang Zhi nodded and signed: "Song Yuwei… she's dead."

Wen Chijin let out a soft sigh, his tone hinting at some pity and regret: "Yeah, that's the news I got at the factory."

Jiang Zhi was uneasy.

"Let's move, Ah Chijin; those cases all happened in the provincial capital, this time it was your classmate, next time who knows…"

Wen Chijin, who had walked over, took her hand and pulled her into his embrace, giving her a strong sense of security and warmth.

After a long while, he finally released her, bent down, and kissed her forehead.

"Don't be afraid."

Jiang Zhi's eyes reddened; thinking of the girl she had just seen on New Year's Eve, perfectly fine, now dead in the junkyard, she felt both frightened and grieved.

"Ah Chijin, shall we move?"

With the start of school approaching, this house, bought by her parents years ago, is close to school and convenient by bus and subway. But it's too terrifying; she doesn't even know whether the murderer might be living nearby.

Wen Chijin replied helplessly, "Okay, I'll look at houses tomorrow."

Jiang Zhi didn't trust him to go alone: "Let's go together."

Wen Chijin: "Mm."

Night.

Jiang Zhi lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, the news from the TV constantly appearing in her mind.

Outside, thunder rumbled nonstop as a heavy downpour began; large raindrops struck the windowpanes with a pattering sound.

The wind blew up the curtains; the old-style window was blown open by the strong gust, crashed down with a 'bang-clang' onto the floor, and the torrential rain poured in along the wind.

Jiang Zhi sensed something abnormal in the room, got up out of bed, and when she tried to turn on the light, the small lamp on the bedside table went out.

The entire floor lost power.

Outside, bolts of lightning sliced through the dark clouds, and in an instant the whole city was briefly illuminated as if it were daytime.

She couldn't hear the thunder, but fearing the darkness, she fumbled about trying to grab her phone to light the room; barefoot on the floor, a sharp pain shot from her feet through her body, she collapsed in pain, reaching out to try to get the phone resting on the bedside table.

Suddenly.

Wen Chijin entered, pushing the door open while holding a flashlight; upon seeing this scene, his pupils slightly dilated.

He wanted to go over, but Jiang Zhi waved her hand to stop him.

"There's glass shards; don't come over."

Wen Chijin shone the flashlight onto the floor, and the glass shards refracted the light, giving off a colored gleam.

Meanwhile, drops of bright red blood seeped from her foot, staining the clear shards red.

Wen Chijin frowned, strode forward, scooped her up in one arm, and carried her out of the messy room.

Jiang Zhi's vision blurred; when she opened her eyes again, she found herself sitting on the living-room sofa.

Wen Chijin placed the flashlight in her hand, then turned to look for the first-aid kit.

Soon after, he brought the first-aid kit to her, half-kneeled beside the sofa, and took hold of her ankle.

Jiang Zhi's ankle was a bit sensitive; it twitched slightly, she drew her body into the sofa's crevice, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she signed: "I… I'm fine."

The youth's expression was grave and tense, as if her condition were critically ill, but in fact she only felt pain and nothing else.

Wen Chijin didn't release his grip; instead, he supported her slender, porcelain-white calf on his knee.

The soles of her feet were white with a hint of pink; perhaps because of his gaze, her toes curled slightly.

Wen Chijin lifted his eyes and said, "It'll hurt a bit later."

Jiang Zhi gave a small nod of her head to indicate she understood.

Wen Chijin picked up the tweezers and skillfully plucked the glass shards from the wound.

She was terrified of the pain, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.

After all the fine glass fragments had been removed, Wen Chijin disinfected the wound, applied medicine, and finished bandaging.

Throughout, Jiang Zhi remained curled on the sofa, her eyes moist, rimmed red, tears hanging ready to fall; when she met his gaze, she forced a pale smile.

Wen Chijin's brows and eyes, shadowed, grew ever colder; he gripped the metal tweezers tightly, the pressure enough that a sharp corner dug into his palm without him reacting.

That window was the result of him loosening the screws.

He had known since two days ago that tonight would bring a great storm; his intention was to have the wind blow the windowpane down so that she would have to share a bedroom with him.

But he overlooked one important fact: the sound‑less Jiang Zhi merely thought the window wasn't closed, not that the whole window had fallen to the ground.

So when she got out of bed to close the window, she stepped on the glass shards.

His sleeve was tugged lightly; Wen Chijin lowered his gaze and saw the girl gesturing to soothe him.

"Ah Chijin, I'm fine now; don't be upset, okay?"

She also didn't know where she had learned that flirtatious trick; her raised fingertips pressed against the crown of her head, her arm lifted upward to trace a heart-shaped arc.

Wen Chijin's negative emotions dissipated; he loosened his grip on the metal tweezers, then moved closer and kissed the corner of her mouth.

The girl's dazed and blank expression tempted him to part his thin lips, slip into her mouth, and curl around her soft tongue to suck and lick.

She involuntarily let out a sweet, soft sound from the corner of her mouth; Wen Chijin kissed her for a while, then moved his thin lips to the edge of her ear, red and dripping, whispering the obscene, erotic words she couldn't hear.

Finally he uttered a single line.

"Little mute, sorry."

Jiang Zhi, of course, couldn't hear it; she only felt her ears hot and damp, a tingling numbness like electric current coursing through her body, making her involuntarily go limp in his embrace as she inhaled the faint scent of soapberry.

…

That night she was taken by Wen Chijin to his bedroom to sleep, while he himself slept on the living-room sofa.

The next day.

After hiring a repairman to fix her bedroom window, they went together to the airport.